


warmer

by catpenguin



Category: Produce 101 (TV), X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Size Difference
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-20 02:37:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20220412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catpenguin/pseuds/catpenguin
Summary: Wooseok is small. For some reason, Seungyoun can't stop noticing it.





	warmer

The first time he really notices that Wooseok is much shorter than him happens on a regular, uneventful Wednesday morning. Seungyoun walks into the kitchen and finds Wooseok standing on his tiptoes, trying to reach something on the upper shelf. He can't help but smile at the sight—Wooseok is still wearing his pajamas, so basically t-shirt and sweatpants, his hair is messy and his expression is clearly disgruntled as, despite his efforts, he can't reach.

He stops his attempts when he notices Seungyoun; he crosses his arms, looking up at him with a pout. "Hand me the coffee? I have no idea who put it up there."

Seungyoun shrugs. "Sorry, Yohan and I aren’t so tiny, you can't expect us to remember you wouldn't be able to reach." He easily grabs the jar. It could be that he himself put it there without thinking; he genuinely is a bit surprised at how short Wooseok is. In theory, he knew, but he never paid much attention. In the end, he has many female friends, who are just as short, even shorter. But as he looks down at Wooseok now, he finally registers it; their height difference is quite big.

"I'm not tiny, you guys are just ridiculously tall," Wooseok huffs, but he doesn't look upset— there's a small smile on his face now.

"Sure. Here," he hands Wooseok the jar. He feels weirdly pleased about it but he doesn't understand why and doesn't stop to analyze it.

"Thanks," Wooseok says and turns to the coffee express to start preparing the coffee.

And that's it; nothing out of ordinary. Except, for some reason, that image of Wooseok looking up at him with a smile as he handed him the jar, sticks with him.

*

The next time he notices it, they're at a concert. It's a band Seungwoo likes, and they come along mostly to accompany him. The concert hall is small and thus very crowded, but Seungwoo insists on pushing through to the front rows.

But once they're finally standing quite close to the stage, Seungwoo spots someone he knows in the crowd.

"I'll be right back," he says and leaves them. Seungyoun briefly considers following him— whoever it is, it's likely Seungyoun knows them too, he knows everyone— but as he glances at Wooseok, he notices there's a frown on his face. He seems already uncomfortable with the crowd; he's pressed tightly against Seungyoun's side as people push all around them.

"Are you okay?" he asks. Wooseok looks up at him, surprised.

"Uh... sure." He scrunches his nose up. "It just stinks here. But at least you smell nice."

Seungyoun laughs. Right, Wooseok is shorter so probably it’s harder for him to breathe in the crowd.

"Glad to know." Without thinking about it much, he makes space for Wooseok in front of him, the way he usually does when he attends a show with a female friend. He puts his hands on Wooseok's sides, the hold too loose to call it an embrace, but enough to make sure other people don't push him. Wooseok turns his head to give him another surprised look, but Seungyoun just smiles at him; it's not a big deal. It's a natural thing to do, he's taller, he can still see the stage well enough.

Wooseok returns his smile; his eyes are soft, full of wonder, and Seungyoun catches himself thinking they're ridiculously big and so pretty— before Wooseok turns back to look at the stage as the lights go down and the first sounds of music vibrate around them.

"You know..." Wooseok says later, after the concert, when they're walking towards a nearby pub. Seungwoo is excitedly discussing the setlist with his friend, who turned out to be Byungchan. Wooseok and Seungyoun found the concert quite fun too, but they don't know the band's discography well enough to follow the conversation. "You don't need to protect me, or anything. I'm not a child."

"Huh?" Seungyoun blinks. "I don't think you need protecting. But you're still tiny, so..."

Wooseok snorts and pushes at his arm. "Shut up."

"But really, if it bothers you… you should have just told me."

Wooseok is silent for a moment, eyes fixed on the ground. "I never said I didn't like it..." he answers finally, voice quiet. Seungyoun glances at him and notices the tips of his ears are red.

Oh, he thinks, and it's like something clicks. But he doesn't know what to do with that realization so he just pushes away, instead joining Seungwoo and Byungchan's conversation.

He'll think about it later.

*

Seungyoun is about to unwrap a chocolate snack bar—the last thing he was able to find in the snack cupboard— when someone grabs his arm.

"Hey!" It's Wooseok and he's eyeing the snack with a frown. "That's mine."

"Oh?" Unfazed, Seungyoun continues his attempts to tear the wrapper open. "I don't see your name signed on it."

"You know perfectly well I bought it this morning when I went shopping," Wooseok huffs. "Give it back."

Seungyoun grins. "Try and take it." He holds the snack above his head, out of Wooseok's reach. Once again, he can't help but take note of their height difference— and this time he's going to use to his advantage.

Wooseok narrows his eyes. "That's not fair!" But he lunges for it anyway, grabbing Seungyoun's arm— he's stronger than he looks, and it hurts, but not enough for him to give up. He laughs and pushes Wooseok away, putting the bar behind his back. Though Wooseok tries to get at it from different angles, he can't reach it. He doesn't seem too upset though; he's complaining but he's smiling at the same time, and Seungyoun thinks he looks adorable jumping around like that, his eyes sparkling with laughter.

Finally Wooseok manages to maneuver him against the wall where he can move no further.

"I see you're not gonna give up," Seungyoun says, still holding the snack out of Wooseok's reach.

"Of course not. It's mine," Wooseok says seriously. Then he tilts his head and bats his eyelashes at Seungyoun, apparently deciding aegyo is his best shot right now. "Please give it to me? Please?"

It shouldn't work on Seungyoun, it really shouldn't— but he finds himself laughing and handing the bar to Wooseok anyway. He tells himself it's just because he's tired of fooling around, and Wooseok was right—the snack was his in the first place.

Wooseok smiles triumphantly as he removes the wrapper, looking quite literally like a cat that got the cream. He's so cute, Seungyoun thinks again. And then Wooseok breaks the snack in two and hands him the half that's still in the wrapper.

"Here," he says; his smile is still playful but his tone is soft. Wooseok is just like that, he thinks— determined to get what he wants, but selfless at the same time. Seungyoun's heart jumps in his chest at the warmth in Wooseok's eyes; he ignores the strange feeling and just laughs, shaking his head.

"No, it's okay, you eat it. You're so tiny, you need to grow—" He doesn't get to finish as Wooseok shuts him up by pushing the chocolate into his mouth.

"Dumbass," he huffs, sounding more fond than annoyed.

The chocolate is sweet but, as cheesy it is to think that, Seungyoun finds Wooseok much sweeter.

*

It's late when Seungyoun comes back home after a pretty intense workout session. He's tired and sleepy, so as he walks into the living room, where Wooseok is sitting on the sofa watching what looks like a horror movie, he doesn't even notice what Wooseok is wearing. He grabs a bottle of water from the kitchen and flops down on the sofa next to Wooseok, and only then it occurs to him— Wooseok's hoodie looks too big for him. And it suspiciously looks a lot like Seungyoun's favorite gray hoodie.

"Is that my hoodie?" he asks. Wooseok tenses beside him but he doesn't react otherwise.

"Yeah," he answers.

"Oh. No wonder, you're pretty much drowning in it."

He expects Wooseok to make some sort of a snarky comeback, but he doesn't respond. He just shifts on the couch, hugging his legs, resting his chin on his knees. He looks so tiny like this, Seungyoun thinks. And oh— his cheeks are tinted with pink. Is he blushing?

"So you like wearing it?”

"Yeah," comes the mumbled reply. "It's... warm." Wooseok's blush seems to intensify. And well, Seungyoun is not dumb. He suspected it before but now he's almost sure that Wooseok— somehow Wooseok has a crush on him now.

He has no idea what to do about it, though. It's funny. It's not like he wouldn't want to date Wooseok. Wooseok is cute, kind, funny, and possibly the prettiest person he knows. He should be happy, or at least flattered that someone like Wooseok has feelings for him.

Instead, he's scared. Wooseok's last breakup was messy and even though it's been a while, Seungyoun still remembers how badly he was hurt. Even though Jinhyuk was a kind person, even though they never meant to hurt each other— shit happens. And Seungyoun would rather die than see Wooseok like that again. And if he was the one to hurt him, he'd never forgive himself.

"If you like it, you can have it," he says, voice light. "I'm tired, I'm gonna hit the sack."

"Okay." Wooseok gives him a small smile, unsuspecting of his inner turmoil. "I'm making breakfast tomorrow so you better not oversleep."

It's spoken like a playful threat, but Seungyoun can see the tenderness in Wooseok's eyes. Somehow, it hurts him to see it; he’s not sure he deserves it.

*

"I said you could take the gray one, not steal another one," Seungyoun teases a few days later as Wooseok walks into the kitchen wearing another one of his hoodies— this time, it's a black one with some sort of abstract print he never really analyzed. Now that he's standing up, Seungyoun can see clearly how big the hoodie is on him. Seungyoun normally wears XL, because of his broad shoulders— and the hoodie is oversized even for him. Wooseok looks so small in it, Seungyoun can't help but find it adorable. Despite jokingly complaining about it, he doesn't mind at all. In fact, he kind of likes it.

Wooseok shrugs as he sits on the chair opposite of him and pours himself some coffee. "I don't want to take any of them, I just like borrowing them." He meets Seungyoun's eyes, seems to hesitate for a moment before he continues, voice soft, "I like that they smell like you."

Oh, Seungyoun thinks. _Oh._ Wooseok is being pretty direct right now. He ignores the squeezing feeling in his chest. Play dumb, he tells himself firmly.

"I can lend you my cologne too, then," he says, , pretending to be preoccupied with his phone. His thumb moves over the screen but he has no idea what he's scrolling through anymore.

He hears Wooseok sigh, but he doesn't say anything else. For a while they sit in silence, and once Seungyoun finishes his coffee he decides he can leave without looking suspiciously in hurry— but then Wooseok speaks up again.

"Jinhyuk invited me on a Christmas date." Seungyoun's head snaps up at the words but this time it's Wooseok who keeps his eyes fixed on his phone. He sounds calm, but Seungyoun can sense he’s distressed by it. "It seems he wants to... try getting back together.”

"Don't go," Seungyoun says, too quick, too fierce, before he even manages to think about it. It just slips, and he realizes how honest it is—he can't stand the idea of Wooseok seeing Jinhyuk again in a romantic setting.

Now Wooseok meets his eyes— he seems surprised. "...why?" It sounds like he’s asking about Seungyoun’s reaction, not about reasons why he shouldn’t meet Jinhyuk. He can probably come up with plenty on his own.

"Because-" _Because he hurt you too but you took all the blame, because his friends and his parents genuinely believed it was your fault, like they didn't know you at all, because you deserve better than forcing yourself to accommodate all those people in your life again. Because I couldn't stand to see you cry over him._ "I wanted you to spend Christmas with me."

Like most Korean singles on Christmas, Seungyoun was planning to get drunk with his friends— and that included Wooseok. So in a way, he's not lying. But he knows how it sounds now. Like he's inviting Wooseok on a Christmas date.

Wooseok examines him for a moment, as if he's trying to find something in his face. Then, he smiles.

"Okay."

Well, that was easy, Seungyoun thinks. He just asked Wooseok out. He can only hope he won't mess things up. And that he won’t end up regretting it.

*

The snowball hits him suddenly, making him curse in surprise— really, he should have expected that when Wooseok slowed down, pretending to be checking something on his phone. Until now, their so-called date was uneventful— they watched a movie and ate at their favorite Thai place, it wasn't much different from what they occasionally did on Friday nights, usually with Yohan and Seungwoo joining as well.

Of course, the Christmas decorations, the music, the atmosphere— it makes everything seem more romantic than usual. But Seungyoun tried his best to avoid making their date romantic. He doesn't consider himself a coward at all, but he's cautious when it comes to things that matter. And Wooseok matters a lot. It's not only the fact that Seungyoun is afraid to hurt him. Wooseok is a precious friend for him, and he doesn't want to ruin that.

He's not very good with relationships that go beyond casual sex. It's not that he doesn't believe in love, but he'd never met anyone that made him want to try being serious. He's been telling himself it's too early for commitment, anyway. But Wooseok... he can't imagine not being serious about him.

Brushing the snow off his hair he turns around to face Wooseok; he's grinning, already forming another snowball in his hands. He looks so cute like this, in his red knit hat and scarf, his cheeks flushed, his eyes sparkling with mirth.

"You should see your face!" he laughs. Seungyoun can't help but laugh as well. Maybe people who don't know Wooseok well would be surprised to see him act so playful— people often misjudge Wooseok because he's introverted and quiet around strangers. He's very pretty and he has a careful way of speaking, and that's enough for people to assume he's cold and reserved, even stuck up. But he's not like that at all.

And while Seungyoun is known as the jokester, between the two of them, Wooseok is often the one doing random, silly things, and anticipating his reaction. He looks happy like a little kid that just got a lollipop when Seungyoun smiles or laughs at him. When Seungyoun pointed that out to him, Wooseok seemed flustered, and then he said, 'You're always making everyone laugh. But I want to make you laugh, too.'

It was hard not to fall a little bit for him after hearing something like that.

He manages to dodge the second snowball Wooseok throws at him, and then he gathers some snow as well, preparing for counterattack. They end up running around the park like carefree children— the snowball fights soon turns into wrestling in the snow, and finally Seungyoun has Wooseok pinned down.

"I win," he grins.

"Not fair," Wooseok whines, but he's smiling. "You're bigger."

"Then maybe you should have tried harder."

"You think I wasn't trying? I hate losing."

"Not to me," Seungyoun retorts, tone turning quiet, more serious, because he's noticed, that Wooseok often puts him first. Wooseok looks surprised for a moment, as if he's not sure he's reading the words correctly, but then his expression softens.

"You see right through me, don't you..." he whispers. The look he gives Seungyoun is so warm it could probably melt the snow around them. "Then why..." Wooseok trails off, and for a moment he looks lost, almost scared— Seungyoun understands the question he was about to asks was 'why haven't you done anything yet' and what he's thinking now must be 'do you not like me back?'

And Wooseok looks so pretty like this, panting from exertion, his eyes sparkling, his cheeks ruddy, his mouth so pouty and kissable— and Seungyoun thinks, to hell with being cautious.

He leans down and presses his lips to Wooseok's.

It's funny, how something as brief as that kiss can make him feel so much. And it can change so much between them. Even though it's cold, all he can feel when he pulls back is how hard his heart is pounding, and how warm his face is; he must be blushing. Despite that, he’s not shy or embarrassed. He stands up and helps Wooseok up, not letting go of his hand after. Wooseok beams up at him; he doesn't seem to notice that his hat fell off and it's still lying in the snow. Seungyoun is about to mention it when Wooseok suddenly laughs breathlessly, and leaps into his arms, burying his face in his shoulder.

"Woah, what-?"

"Sorry, I'm just happy."

Seungyoun practically melts at that. To think there are people out there who believe Wooseok is cold, when he can be so honest with his feelings, when he makes it so obvious how much he likes Seungyoun. He wraps his arms around Wooseok, holding him close. He really is quite small, he thinks fondly, I could kiss the top of his head.

And so he does. He has no reason to hold back; he's determined to shower Wooseok with love from now on. And, strangely enough, he's not scared anymore. He trusts his heart, and it's telling him this is something that will last.

**Author's Note:**

> literally nobody:  
me: WOOSEOK TINY!!!!
> 
> also this turned out so disgustingly sweet lol tell me what you think! thank you for reading <3
> 
> &i'm looking for seungseok enthusiast mutuals hit me up @csykws


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